Means for illuminating airports



Fb. 28, 1928. l,660 68@ V. W. MILLER ET AL MEANS FOR ILLUMINATING AIR PORTS Filed Nov. 26, 1927 Bnventors Vfifl-JQN N. MILLZZE LAWQQN i 0 MiLLER W 7753 Gttorneg- VEBHGN W. AND news 0N E. lull-BREE, 0L BEIGE, (EH10.

MEANS FER ELL'UEINA'EHTG AERZ ORTS.

duplication filed November 25, 192?. Serial No. 235,324.

Air ports or lending fields for flying machines require illumination at night. Becuuse air ports are large the expense ofkee ing them continuously illuminated at night would be large, hence the object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the aviator can, while in flight, bring about the illumination oi the field preparatory to landing and also bring about the extinguishnient oi the light or lights while departing from the field;

According" to the invention there is employed as large hopper adopted to catch a; ball or other suitable object dropped or thrown by the aviator While in. iflig,,h t said ball adapted to actuate e switch that will close the light circuit when desiring to maize lending or to open said eircuit out out the lights after a lending and in flight from the field. Acccrdin to the invention also the hopper itself wiil be permsnently illuminated at night so as to guide the aviator es to the dropping or casting the circuit actuating member when approaching the ield with the purpose of lending A further eeture is the provision st 21 eonstruction he operation which will erdinerily be interfered with or impaired by snow or rain, Ether ob ects t i epeear from the disc osure herein i e f, partly section, erger scale oi bell-receiving is the means actuated the bell.

" 8- is e r ail in side ion e n i. F, r circuit elosing oioening desee by gravity "from the p or 11 C 10 to i reuent an otherwise possible escao hopper and dischar e into a box 12. The hopper can be supported on suitable posts 7 set in the ground, said posts being held in erect position by stays 6 to be anchored in the ground. c

Pivoted upon a shaft 13 in a suitable standard 9 is a lever 14: the free slightly cupped end of which is extended into the tube 11 through a slot 15 therein, said lever carrying pivoted to it a pawl 16. Journaled loosely on the shaft 13 is a ratchet wheel 1'? carrying a switch arm 18 adapted to close an electric circuit through Wire 19 when moyed'onto one of four contacts or terminals 19 placed ninety degrees apart on the margin of a stationary disk 20. The teeth 1" the ratchet wheel are so placed and the movement of the lever solimited that an. oscillation downward of the lever 1 caused by Weight of the bell the tube will eldest e forty-five degree movement of the switch arm 18. Successive ooerations of the iever will therefore cause the alternate closing and opening of the circuit. A spring is shown employed to restore the end ot' the lever 1 to its elevated position Within the tube Where the Weight or the ball w perform the described operation. -When lever 14: is thrown down aster us it can go the ball passes on through the lower end of the tube into at box 12. Such details of equio us may be needed and are not linetrated can be readily supphed by mechanical or electrical engineering shill.

To projec the electric switching mechanism snow and rain is suitably cor-= cred as by e hood I i The rim of tie upper end of the hoo'cer is orovided with e. series of Zero s orote cted from fracture by "wire 9 R:- e lumps can be of difie' t e hopper clear-l distill e A. i 8 lamps can be distinct t i circuit so that they can be let lighted all night. The rim of the hopper is also provided with an inwardly bent margin, as a" (D ciof e bell t nding to bounce uewerd fro: points near the To prevent the be A. from bounding out of the hopper at oth-r points two series of or curtains of chicken Wire netting 26 or oth r materiel can be hung trout cross Wires 2'? 28, subteuding the mouth of the hogs-en The air port or landing field is provided around its boundaries with a suitable numwill drop the ball while in flight to turn on the lights when he arrives at a suitable point duty to extinguish them when he leaves the field which last he can do by dropping a ball into'the hopper after he makes his take oil. If the aviator is to remain in-port he can extinguish the field lighting lamps by manually operatingthe lever 14.

To protect the upper end of the tube 10' from the collection of snow there is provided a hood 32 supported by legs a suitable distance above said end, said hood consisting of a conical or pyramidal member having an upstanding rim around its base, said rim being perforated at 33 todrain it of water when the snow melts. The hood 32 is covered witha conical screen 34 secured to the flange adapted to prevent the ball from loc ging in said hood sand to divert the ball to v the inclined wall of the hopper 10 from which it can fall into the tube or spout. The

switch actuating ball, shown at 35 should, of

into which an object can be dropped by the" aviator in flight and means adapted to be actuated by said object to open or close the field lighting electric circuit.

3. Means for illuminating an air port including a field lighting circuit, a hopper into which an object can be dropped by the avia- I tor to close the field lighting circuit, said hopper having open-work walls. nearv the port; and it should be made his 4. Means for illuminating an air portincluding a field'lighting circuit, a hopper into which an object can be dropped by the aviator in flight. to close the field lighting circuit, said hopper having inclined walls and battle members hung within said hopper to intercept the object if bounding from a wallet the hopper. Y

5. Means for illuminating an air port including a. field lighting circuit, a'hopper into which an object can be dropped by the aviator in flight to close the field lighting circuit, said hopper having its rim inwardly deflected. h

'6, Means for illuminating an air port including a field lighting circuit, a hopper into which an object can be dropped by the aviator in flight to close the field lighting circuit, said hopper having illuminating means independent of the field lighting means.

7. Means for illuminating an air port including a field lighting circuit, a hopper into which an object can be dropped by the aviator in flight to close the field lighting circuit,

said hopper having an outlet for said object at its bottom, and means protecting said outlet from snow and the like consisting of a hood surmounted with a flaring screen adapted to direct the falling object to'a wall of the hopper.

- VERNON W. MILLER. LAWSON E. MILLER. 

